The Telepathic Transference Complication
by Alex Conrad
Summary: A lab accident leaves Sheldon with the ability to read minds. Is this a gift or a curse? What Women Want AU
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! This is my first time writing Penny/Sheldon fic, so I would love feedback! Thanks to The_Sunday_Wife for being my beta, your so awesome they need a new word for awesome!**

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"Sheldon, I'm going home. Are you coming?" Leonard said stepping into Sheldon's office at Caltech. Sheldon didn't look up. Instead he was completely concentrating on the computer screen in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Leonard finally said with a sigh. Sheldon still didn't look up.

"I am reading an email from Amy Farrah Fowler." He replied as if that were the only obvious answer. Leonard rolled his eyes.

"Well do you plan on being done soon? I want to go home." He was using his whiny voice, "Pria's going to come over…" Sheldon sighed and finally glanced up.

"Call Penny, have her come get me." He said, returning his eyes to the machine, "Amy wants to scan my brain, it should take no longer than half an hour." Leonard rolled his eyes and walked out of the office.

Sheldon typed a quick response telling Amy that he would be to her office in 10 minutes.

Quickly he grabbed his laptop and placed it in his messenger bag and then carefully slung that over his shoulders. He walked to her office, finding the door open.

"Amy?" He said pushing open the door. She was standing near a cage feeding a banana to a Rhesus monkey.

"Oh, hello Sheldon. Come in. Thank you for participating in my experiment." She said, motioning him towards a chair.

"It was no inconvienece." He said, sitting down, placing his bag across his lap.

"Alright. Well what I am trying to do is stimulate different areas of a Rhesus monkeys brain to get different results. What I want to stimulate in your corresponding monkey is intelligence. These are some extreme math problems I had drawn up." She handed him a piece of paper, "I want you to complete them while I monitor your brain and see if by stimulating the same area of the brain in the monkey, makes him smarter." Sheldon nodded.

"Your experiment seems sound. Proceed." Amy wheeled her computer towards Sheldon and sat it in front of him. She attached the electrodes to her computer and then to Sheldon's head.

"Are you ready?" She asked, handing him a pencil. He took it and nodded.

"Yes." Amy nodded and sat behind the computer to analyze the results.

"Begin." She said. Sheldon set to work, attacking the problems like a crow attacks an eagle that has gotten to close to its nest. In a matter of minutes he was done.

"Finished." He said, putting his pencil down. Amy nodded.

"Just one more minute." She said clicking away at the keys on her computer. There was a high-pitched scream from one of the monitors and then Sheldon felt a shock and all went black.

Sheldon woke on the floor, head foggy, with someone yelling his name.

"Sheldon!" the voice called, shaking his shoulder, "Sheldon, are you alright?" Finally his eyelids fluttered open and he saw Penny above him.

"Penny?" He said, lifting himself into a sitting position. "Why am I on the floor?" Penny looked at him strangely.

"Amy said that the electo-whatevers malfunctioned, they shocked you. Are you alright?"

_Oh my god. What happened? He doesn't remember, is that amnesia? What's going on?_

"Penny, I do not have amnesia, I just can't remember how I ended up on the floor. Now, please stop your blathering and help me up." Penny's eyes grew wider as she helped him get to his feet.

"Amy, what's wrong with him?" Penny asked in horror. Amy frowned and crossed her arms.

"I'm not sure." She said, "Perhaps the shock to his brain has made him forget the last few minutes. But it doesn't seem to have any other detrimental effects. Are you feeling all right Sheldon? Any dizziness?" Sheldon shook his head.

"No, I am quite alright, although I do not like being on the floor. Do you know how many germs reside on people shoes and thus on the-"

_Oh good. He's himself. However annoying that might be._

Sheldon turned to Penny.

"Why do you always have to interrupt me? Especially when I have seen where your shoes go when you are done with them, you would do well to know what resides on that pair of tennis shoes that have been sitting on your coffee table the last few days." Penny looked at him strangely.

"I didn't interrupt you, Sheldon." She said. Sheldon returned the strange look. He had most definitely heard her voice. Why was she lying about this?

"Well, I am going to study these readings from your brain, Sheldon. Sorry about what happened." Amy sat down at her computer again.

"Yes, of course, goodnight Amy Farrah Fowler." He said as Penny pulled him towards the door.

_Great, now Dr. Wackadoodle is probably gonna need to go to the ER. What if he has some sort of head trauma? Amy's a little busy with her monkeys to notice, but he doesn't seem quite all right._

"Penny, I can assure you that I am fine. Please stop your incessant monologue." Penny shot him another glance.

"I'm taking you to the hospital Sheldon." She said as they got into her car.

"I do not need to be admitted to a hospital. I am suffering from no symptoms other than a slight headache, which may be the effect of your chatter rather than the electrode malfunction." She glared over at him as he looked out the window.

_He's so obnoxious! Why can't he just understand that I'm worried?_

Sheldon whipped his head around to face her.

"Your worried about me?" He asked. She looked over at him.

"Sweetie, you're really starting to weird me out." She said as she pulled onto the street. Sheldon frowned.

"Why would my question 'weird you out'?" He asked.

_Because your reading my freaking thoughts._ "Because I was just thinking about how worried I was and then you said it." Sheldon's mouth dropped open. He had heard the words but her mouth had not moved. What was going on?

"Penny. I need to think about some things, can we spend the rest of the drive in silence?" He asked. Penny shot him another worried glance.

"Yeah, sweetie, that's fine." She said. Sheldon leaned back in his seat, with his head twisted enough towards Penny that he could see if she spoke again. He was shocked when he heard her voice.

_I hope Sheldon's okay. An electrical shock to the head can't be a good thing…How is he alright? Maybe because he uses more of his brain than normal people he escaped damage. Hmm…he seems to be himself. He did just tell me off about germs, so I guess that's a good sign. What's that word they use for head trauma? A concu…oh! A concussion. I'm proud I remembered that, maybe I should audition for a part on House. I could use all that doctor mumbo jumbo…oh look a new shoe store. I should go there tomorrow after work. It looks nice…_

Sheldon was sure he was going insane. He was staring straight at Penny and he heard what she was saying but she wasn't actually saying anything, her mouth was not moving.

What had happened to him? The electric shock must have affected him more than he thought. Could he now read minds? Because it now seemed like he was definitely reading Penny's mind.

_Why is Sheldon staring at me? _Sheldon came back from his mental tangent to look at Penny. _He's acting more strange than normal. _

"We're here." Penny said as she pulled the car to a stop, watching Sheldon curiously as he jumped out of the car.

"Goodbye Penny, thank you for the ride." He said as he stalked off. As he turned around the corner he heard her again.

_Well crap on a cracker, he took off quick. I was hoping for a dinner invite. Wonder what I did this time…_

Sheldon ran upstairs taking the steps two at a time.

He could read thoughts. He had always wanted this ability, but now that the universe had given it to him, he wasn't sure why he had desired it. What is the benefit? Why would someone want to know the inane reflections of someone else? Being in the car with Penny for those few minutes had almost driven him insane. Was it going to be like this with everyone?

He reached his door to find it unlocked. He stepped through and closed it behind him quickly.

"Hey, Sheldon. Good, your home." Leonard said, "Pria and I are going to Catalina for the weekend, so you're on your own." Sheldon waited to hear what Leonard was thinking. Leonard looked at him oddly.

"Are you alright Sheldon?" He asked. Sheldon finally straightened and dropped his bag onto his desk.

"Fine." He said. Leonard eyed him warily again before continuing.

"Okaay…well, I brought you Thai food, so you'll have dinner. I won't be home till late Sunday, alright?" Sheldon nodded once, as there came a knock on the door.

"Pria!" Leonard said as he opened it. The Indian woman entered gracefully and gave Leonard a kiss.

"Hello Leonard, are you ready to go?" She asked. _I can't wait to get you to the hotel._ Sheldon's eyes grew wide again as he heard Pria's words but did not see her lips move.

"Yeah," Leonard replied. "I'm just finishing up with Sheldon here." Pria looked over at Sheldon.

"Hello Sheldon." _Why is he so strange? Was he dropped on his head at birth perhaps?_ Sheldon frowned.

"Hello Pria." He said stiffly. Leonard moved to get his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Raj won't be over tonight. He's locked himself in his room to watch Bollywood movies." Leonard said, "He's not happy about our trip."

_It's my life, what does my brother care anyway? I'm dating a scientist for crying out loud, I could do a lot worse. He's just so annoying._

"And Howard was grounded by his mother. We gotta go. See ya." Leonard opened the door and he and Pria exited the apartment. Sheldon stood stock still staring at the closed door.

It seems he had been mistaken.

Either Leonard did not have a single thought in his head (which, Sheldon considered, could be possible) or the universe had not given him the power to read anyone's thoughts, no, it had limited him to reading _women's_ thoughts. What was he going to do?

He needed to talk to someone. To bounce idea's off them. Amy would understand, he thought pulling his laptop from his bag and powering it up, or at least she wouldn't think he was insane.

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**Thank you for reading! Next chapter has more Penny, I promise! Reviews are like chocolate...I love them!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I really appreciate the encouragement. Here's chapter number two! Thanks again to The_Sunday_Wife for being awesomesauce as a beta! You rock. I own nothing. :(**

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Sheldon sat in his spot on the couch, pulling his Thai food out of its bag.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Amy, this is one of the strangest things that's ever happened to me." He said glancing up briefly to see Amy's face on his computer screen.

"Sheldon, you can read women's thoughts. This is a huge opportunity for you!" _Are you reading my thoughts now?_

"Yes Amy, I can still hear you." He glared for a moment, "What do you mean, opportunity?"

"I know you do not view Freud as a reliable source of information, however, he did say once: "The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer is "What does a woman want?""

"Amy, you know how I feel about Freud." Amy nodded.

"Yes, I do Sheldon, but nonetheless this is an interesting set of circumstances you are in, and until you figure out a way to undo the effects of this lab experiment I think you should make the most of these powers and take up anthropology, if not for anything more than your own curiosity."

"So, what your saying is that I should use my new ability to study women and what they want. Why would I do such a thing?" Sheldon looked at the screen with a frown. Amy smiled.

_Because it is a place no man has gone before._

"Like Star Trek." He said in reverential awe, "I could study something that has never been studied."

"Exactly." She smiled. Sheldon nodded thoughtfully.

"I like the way you think, Amy Farrah Fowler." He said as he grabbed the soy sauce.

Knock. Knock.

Sheldon looked up to see Penny's head peeking around the corner of his door.

"I smell Chinese food." She said. Sheldon frowned.

"It's actually Thai," He said before returning his attention to his soy sauce, "Your slipping." Penny shuffled a few more steps into the apartment.

"Are Leonard and Pria here?" She asked. _Please let the answer be no. I'm so hungry but I don't want to be around them!_

Sheldon cocked his head to the side.

"They went to Catalina for the weekend." He replied stirring his Thai.

"Oh," Penny said. _He never took me to Catalina, big jerk. _"Where's Raj?" Sheldon looked up at her.

"At home. Forbidding it." He said.

_Awe, poor Raj.. _"How about Howard?" Penny asked looking around the apartment, like she expected him to pop out at any moment.

"I'm given to understand that his mother grounded him for running away." Sheldon replied.

_HAHAHAHAHAHA. Of course she did. _Sheldon smirked at her mental laugh.

"Oh, okay…" Penny stepped closer to the couch, _I'm alone with Sheldon, this doesn't have to be weird…._ "Well, I guess it's just the two of us, huh?" She sat down on the couch and looked over at him.

"Actually it's the three of us." He said.

_Oh dear, he's finally lost it. He's got an imaginary fr-_

"What up bestie?" Amy's voice said from the computer causing Penny to jump. Sheldon turned the computer around to reveal Amy's face on his screen. Penny waved. _Awe, Amy. I love Amy. _

"Good news!" Amy said after waving back, "Thanks to you, I was able to make a Rhesus monkey cry like a disgraced televangelist!" Sheldon smirked.

"Great." Penny said with less enthusiasm then she should have had. _I can't believe I lost it like that, I'm not even upset over Leonard dating Pria. I just hate being alone!_

"So, you feeling better?" Amy asked. Penny shook her head.

"Not really."_ I feel stupid. Why is he happy? Why can't I be the happy one? _Sheldon watched Penny with interest. Amy looked over at Sheldon.

"Sheldon." He looked up at her, "You have a guest, who's upset." _Remember, we talked about this. _Sheldon dropped his chopsticks in his bowl and placing it on the coffee table he stood up.

"Right, I'll make tea." He said.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay, I don't want tea." Penny replied. Sheldon turned back to look at her.

"I'm sorry. It's non-optional." He replied, turning back towards the kitchen.

Penny sat there and smiled. _Awe, Sheldon's being sort of sweet. _She watched him move into the kitchen.

"Penny," Amy said calling her attention back to the computer, "I have to go to an appointment, could you please close my window?" Penny nodded.

"Sure, see you later Amy." She said leaning towards the computer.

"Bye, Sheldon!" _Good luck with the experiment._

"Thank you, goodbye, Amy Farrah Fowler." Sheldon called from the kitchen. Penny waved one last time and then shut the computer.

"Would you like chamomile or green tea?" Penny got off the couch and walked into the kitchen.

_Blech. Why don't they get good tea like Suger Cookie or Birthday Cake. Something sweet?_

"I'll take Green Tea," She replied, sitting on the stool at the bar. Sheldon reached into the cupboard and pulled out a teabag, placing it in her cup and pouring water over it.

"Here you are," He said placing the cup in front of her. Penny lifted the cup to her nose, smelling it.

"This isn't green tea." She said. Sheldon shook his head.

"I decided given your predilection to sweet things you may appreciate this tea more, it is a blend of vanilla, cinnamon and chai." Sheldon watched her curiously as she took a sip.

_Mmm. This is good._

"Thank you Sheldon," Penny said with a smile, "This is just what I needed." _Well, not exactly what I needed. I need to stop feeling like crap. Why do I still have feelings for Leonard? _Sheldon frowned.

"Why do you still have feelings for Leonard?" He asked. She looked up at him in shock and he then realized his mistake. He made a mental note to remember not to answer her thoughts again.

"I…uh…" She shook her head, "I don't know." She answered.

"In my opinion, Leonard has never done anything especially worthy of your affections and now he is dating Pria. Earlier in your ill fated relationship you were looking for a way to get out without hurting Leonard, I believe this your, and I'm using this word for you, 'cue' to move on." Penny looked up at him thoughtfully.

_Oh, if you only knew Sheldon._

"I can't." She said, "I'm ruined." Sheldon frowned.

"Penny, if your using that word with it's original meaning for someone who is not chaste, I hasten to tell you that it applied to you even before you met Leonard."

_Oh, shutup Sheldon_.

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant that I started to date again and nobody that I'm with makes me feel like I did with Leonard."

"You mean, you do not connect emotionally?" Sheldon looked smug. He was getting the hang of anthropology. Penny glared at him.

_Do you even know what emotions are?_ "No, I mean, Leonard challenged me. He made me want to be better. You know, like everyone else is expecting me to be just this dumb blonde, but when I was dating Leonard, I wanted to be more. To be smarter." _See how well that turned out, I'm still stupid and now he's dating Pria, the lawyer. She's probably super smart._ Sheldon wanted to point out that if anyone were 'super smart' it would be him, but he refrained.

"Penny," Sheldon said, "I believe that the problem you are having has nothing to do with Leonard and his knew relationship." Penny glanced up at him.

"What do you mean?" She asked. _This should be interesting. _

"I mean, you don't hate that Leonard is in a relationship, what you hate is missing your desire to be better. Perhaps you need to find a way to make yourself feel better about yourself." Penny blinked up at him.

"But Sheldon, I tried to date other guys-"

"Perhaps dating is not the solution in this case." Sheldon interrupted, "One does not always need someones approval to better themselves. Maybe you should try being a better person for you." Penny frowned.

_Maybe he's right…but still…I need someone to rely on. I hate being so alone. I don't have anyone who tells me to do better._

"Thanks Sheldon. I'll think about that." She said getting up and moving back to the couch. Sheldon frowned. He didn't like hearing her thoughts, not at all. He had always thought Penny was such a free spirit, not caring what others thought. But these thoughts made him feel otherwise.

"Penny, if it would help." He said sitting next to her in his spot. "I would like to help you feel better." Penny looked over at him.

_This is weird. What does he mean by that?_

"Ok-ay. How?" she asked, picking at her noodles.

"As you know, my mental faculties are impressive. With my help, you wouldn't have to feel stupid. If all you need is encouragement to make your life better and a 'atta girl' when you do something right, then I offer myself as your primary source of incentive and motivation." Penny looked at him with a smile.

_That is the nicest thing he has ever said to me_.

"But," he started again.

_Oh no. Here it is_.

"I will tell you that I am a strict teacher. You will be getting no sympathy from me if you fall back into your self-degrading habits, like pining over Leonard." Penny smiled a little wider.

_Wow. Sheldon Cooper, Dr. Beautiful Mind wants to help me with my life. But should I let him? I'm pretty screwed up. No. I need help. I need someone, even if he does act like a robot most of the time._

"Thank you Sheldon, I accept." Sheldon nodded.

"Alright." He said, "After dinner we start by organizing that cave you call an apartment." He almost laughed at the curses that streamed through Penny's head.

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**Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! Let me know what you think! Train me to post more by giving me reviews, like Sheldon gives Penny chocolate!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: I don't own TBBT. Wish I did.

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"Oh dear." Sheldon said upon entering Penny's apartment. Penny sighed.

"I know, it's a mess…" _A gigantic mess, oh please don't let him find the pop tart under the couch._ Sheldon's head whipped around towards Penny and she smiled shyly.

_The poptart is where?_ he thought.

"A mess? This is pure pandemonium." He said instead, "I have to go get my cleaning supplies. I'll be back shortly." He turned to go and then stopped. Slowly he turned back to Penny. "While I am gone, could you please remove the pop tart under the couch and any other food that is lying around?" He saw Penny's eyes widen as he swung around and returned to his apartment.

How the hell did he see that?

Sheldon snickered once he was out of earshot. Really this could be very funny….

"But I like the couch there!" Penny cried. Sheldon sighed and looked over at her.

"Penny, you said you wanted my help." He said.

"Yeah, but do you have to rearrange the furniture. The place is clean!" Sheldon sighed.

"Penny, do you know why your house is always messy?" Penny frowned.

Great. Here it comes, I'm a slob. Just say it. I couldn't keep this place clean to save my life. Oh gosh Sheldon, I don't need this right now. I need wine!

Sheldon rethought what he was previously going to say…

"Aside from your sometimes disorganized lifestyle, the way this apartment is set up does not lend itself towards organization anyways. I believe by rearranging the furniture, you will find it easier to keep this place clean." Sheldon looked over at Penny, who let out a sigh.

Oh thank god.

"Okay Sheldon, move the furniture." She said. Sheldon nodded.

"Alright." He said bending down and pushing her couch up against a wall.

Holy crap. Sheldon is pretty strong. I know how much that couch weighs. Wow, has he always had those forearms? Look at the muscles through his shirt- no, stop it. This is Sheldon for crying out loud. Focus. Wine, you need wine.

Sheldon started on other pieces of furniture as Penny went into the kitchen and got herself a glass of wine. She took a sip.

_Mmm. Just what I needed. Why were you even thinking things_ _about Sheldon? It's Sheldon!_

Meanwhile, Sheldon had paused momentarily to write in the notebook he was carrying in his pocket.

_Women's Studies _He wrote, _Penny: Does not like hearing negativity, curses in her head, and thinks about me when I'm around (what if I'm not? What does she think about then? Requires further study.) Finds forearms attractive. _Quickly he slid the notebook back in his pocket and slid a bookshelf away from the wall.

"Penny." He said turning towards her, "It's time to start on the bedroom." Penny sighed and sat down her wineglass…

I am never getting to bed tonight.

"Come on." Sheldon said pulling his plastic gloves back on, "We're almost finished."

They went into the bedroom which was covered in every article of clothing Penny had.

_Almost finished, my ass. This is so embarrassing._

Sheldon turned to Penny.

"I am going to go clean and organize your bathroom. When I come out I want all of these clothes organized into piles. Those you plan to continue wearing, those you wear only occasionally and those you never wear. Do you have a closet?" Penny laughed.

"Yes." She said.

"Then why don't you use it?"

"Because!" She said defensively. _These are all dirty clothes; I'm not going to hang them up!_

"What about a hamper?" He asked looking around, but seeing no sign of one.

"It's in the closet." Penny finally huffed. He glanced over at her.

"Then why aren't these clothes in the closet?"

"Sheldon!" _Oh lord, this is embarrassing. _"I…I take off my clothes when I get home. And I don't want to walk all the way to the closet to drop them in the basket." She crossed her arms and stared at him.

_Go ahead, make an obnoxious comment. Tell me I'm lazy. I dare you. _Sheldon's eyebrows went up.

"Fine." He said, "Organize these clothes, I'm going to tackle the bathroom."

_Wow. Is he evolving into a better person? _Sheldon rolled his eyes as he walked over the piles of clothing to her bathroom.

Sheldon rearranged every item of furniture she had, but afterwards she had to admit that it looked a lot better and given where he had placed things it seemed like it would definitely be easier for her to stay organized.

He even pulled the hamper out of her closet and placed it inconspicuously against the wall in her living room.

_That is going to be so helpful! _She smiled as she walked around the apartment.

"It looks really good Sheldon."

"I know." He replied. "Try to be more organized Penny, it's going to make you feel better. I'm going to bed." Sheldon moved towards the door.

"Sheldon," Penny said, causing him to turn around.

"Thank you," She smiled. _I don't know why your being so wonderful, but I appreciate it. I wish I knew how to tell you that._

Sheldon smiled to himself as he left the apartment.

"Sheldon, we're going out!" Leonard says as he pulled on his jacket. Sheldon was sitting at his laptop and turned when Leonard spoke.

"Out? Where?" He asked.

"We're going to a club…"

"Yeah!" Howard said, "Surround ourselves with lovely ladies! I've already got Bernadette, so I'm not shopping tonight, but Raj is going to get lucky!"

"Well," Leonard said, "I'm going to meet up with Priya."

Sheldon had recently been thinking about how he needed to widen out in his anthropological experiment. In a normal scientific experiment you would not limit yourself to one variable you would have many. Likewise, although he did not consider anthropology to be a real science, he had decided he needed to be around other subjects.

"I would like to accompany you." Sheldon said, standing up and putting his jacket over his shoulders.

"Holy crap." Raj said with wide eyes. Howard's jaw dropped and Leonard stood dumbfounded.

"Excuse me?" Leonard finally said. Sheldon sighed.

"I believe my volume was sufficiently high enough," He replied causing Leonard to sigh.

"Sheldon!" He said, voice getting whiny, "What is going on with you?"

"Leonard, I think we've accidentally crossed into an alternate dimension." Howard finally said. Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"If you must know, there is only so much-"

"Fine, I don't care. Come on, we'll be late." Leonard grabbed the keys and exited the apartment.

The other three quickly followed and stopped when they saw Penny on the landing.

"Hey guys." She said, "Where you heading? The comic book store?" _I wonder if Top Model will be on tonight? Is there some wine in the fridge? Hmm…_

"We're going to a club…" Howard said. Penny looked up at them.

"What now?" _Sheldon is going? Has the universe collapsed?_

"Yeah, I'm meeting up with Priya, and…well you know why they're going. Anyways, see you later…" The four of them turned to leave.

"Stop." Penny said, "Turn." The boys turned back towards her, "Explain him." She pointed to Sheldon.

Leonard sighed.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He replied. Raj leaned over and whispered in Howard's ear.

"Yes Raj, It's kind of creeping me out too." Howard said after a moment.

"Sheldon?" Penny sighed. Everyone else turned to hear his reply.

"I'm conducting a social experiment." He replied. _What the hell does that mean?_

"Great," Howard said, "He's going to go around documenting our interactions and now Raj will never get a date." Raj whispered in his ear again. "Of course you had a chance before! But now…" Howard threw his hands in the air.

Oh who are you kidding Howard? Poor Raj will never have a relationship unless he can talk to women. And even then his chances are seriously hindered with you as his creepy wingman.

"Anyways…we should go. We're late." Leonard said backing towards the stairs

Good, I don't want to deal with this weirdness and I don't want to be around Leonard. I need to relax. Maybe I'll take a bubble bath.

"Alright, whatever." Penny said. She glanced up weirdly at Sheldon. _This is still the weirdest thing he's ever done, experiment or not. _She turned to her door with a frown. "Have fun."

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**Next time on the Telepathic Transference Complication! Sheldon goes to a bar! What will happen? Leave me nuggets of review love and you'll find out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you to all of you who reviewed and added, I really appreciate your support! Here is the bar scene. I couldn't write Sheldon as a ladies man, it wouldn't work, so I went a different way...hope you like it. (Disclaimer: I don't own it, wish I did, like everyone who's reading this right now...) Also, I don't know what the forearm muscle is called...**

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The club was worse than Sheldon expected. The lighting was dim, the music too loud and everyone was so close together. He could practically see the germs jumping from person to person.

"There's Priya!" Leonard said, pointing to the bar. He made his way through the people and towards his girlfriend. Raj looked upset.

"Come on, Raj. Let's get you a drink." Howard said as the duo walked towards the bar. Sheldon pondered who to follow, but decided to follow Howard and Raj since they would give him to most variables to study.

Sheldon tried to follow them through the crowd without touching anyone. Which proved harder than he had previously thought.

_Oh god, why doesn't he just shut up?_

_Is he seriously using that line?_

_I wonder if he would come home with me…_

_Oh, he's staring. Now he's coming over here…what should I say?_

_Is this dress too tight? I feel a little uncomfortable._

Sheldon stopped suddenly, the crowd swirling around him. He wondered if he could focus his abilities and instead of having all these voices running through his head, if he could focus on one. He looked to his right and saw a woman standing alone at the bar. He stared at her, focusing his thoughts. Through the maze of voices, one suddenly stood out.

_He's not going to show up. He's forgot again. Why does he keep doing this? Do I mean anything to him? I bet if I didn't even call him for the next week he wouldn't even care…_

Sheldon smiled and pulled out his notebook. He wrote down notations of any different topic he could hear around him. Most had to do with men and the club they were in, but some were different. Some were worried about bills or family. Some were thinking about sex.

It took him several minutes but finally Sheldon made it to the bar. He sat on a stool and surveyed the crowds. He saw Howard a little ways away talking to Bernadette. Surely social protocol didn't dictate that he could not read his friends girlfriend's thoughts. He focused on the blonde.

_Howard, why are we talking about your mother some more? She's not here, I am. Please focus. I don't want to hear another brisket story. Oh just shut up._ Sheldon watched as Bernadette leaned in and kissed Howard, effectively distracting him from the brisket story he'd been telling.

Interesting, Sheldon thought, using the physical responses from kissing to achieve a change in conversation. How often do females use this method of diversion? He jotted some more notes in his notebook and then surveyed the scene before him, trying to see if any other females employed this tool.

To his surprise there were several women who did this.

_Please stop talking about your job. Can't you tell I just want to go home with you? Get a clue. _Kiss.

_Why aren't you paying attention to me? I'm right here. Look at me. _Kiss.

_Yeah, that's right. Mmm, I like it when you dance like that. No, don't look over there…focus right here… _Kiss.

Sheldon noted some more things in his notebook before noticing Raj, who walked up and sat next to him.

"Hey man, what are you writing down?" Sheldon looked up at him.

"Just information for my experiment." He replied. Raj nodded.

A girl walked up to Raj then.

"Hi." She said, "I'm Tiffany." Raj raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Well hello tiffany, I'm Raj." Tiffany smiled. _Awe, he has such a cute accent. _

"Where are you from Raj?" She asked, sitting next to him. Sheldon watched, interested, as she leaned forward letting Raj have a view of her bosoms. _That's right, look at the girls. _Sheldon frowned. Surely women didn't really do this. Although given what he'd witnessed in the last half and hour here, he shouldn't really have been surprised.

One thing was for certain, even if he didn't get his findings on the female psyche published, he was most certainly learning a lot about them.

One thing he had noted so far was that women like to be complimented. This is something that growing up with a twin sister had already taught him, but the extent to which they will go for a compliment was new to him.

Also, like Penny, many found forearms to be rather attractive. Sheldon looked down at his arms, esconced in fabric and decided to conduct an experiment. He rolled his sleeves up past his elbows and then just lounged at the bar.

"Hi there," A voice said a moment later. She was a tall brunette with green eyes.

"Hello." Sheldon said and smiled. _Awe, he's a cutie pie. _

"What's your name, sugar?" Sheldon frowned at the nickname but replied.

"Sheldon," he said, "What is your name?"

"Melanie." She said, sitting next to him. _Now come on, handsome, buy me a drink. _

"Can I get you some sort of alcoholic beverage?" Sheldon asked merely because he wanted to see what else she was thinking.

"I'd love one, a glass of Merlot." She said. Sheldon nodded and then raised an arm motioning for the barkeep. _Look at those forearms, you sexy thing you._ Sheldon looked over at her askance for a moment before the barkeep asked what he could get them.

"A merlot, for the lady and I'll have a glass of water, thank you." _Water? What is he a monk? Oh well, if he'd wrap those arms around me, I wouldn't care if he were a monk._

"So," Sheldon started, desiring very much for her to stop thinking about him, "What do you do for a living?" He asked. He had been told that asking someone about there work, was a social norm amongst people who had never previously met.

"I'm a secretary." She said, "I work in a law office. What do you do?" _Please don't be weird, please don't be weird. _

"I'm a theoretical physicist at Caltech." He replied, wondering if that fell in the weird category. _Oh, well he's smart then. At least he's not a farmer like my last boyfriend. Stupid hick. _

"That's interesting. And what do you do exactly?" _I really don't care, but maybe if I pretend, you'll come home with me. _

Sheldon's mouth dropped and he pulled out his notebook.

"What are you writing?" She asked. _Oh no, he is a weirdo._

"I'm conducting a social experiment. May I ask you a question?" _Oh lord. _

"Sure thing, sugar." She smiled. _Please get me out of here. _

"Why did you decide to come up and talk to me?" Sheldon waited, pen poised.

_I was horny._ "You looked like an interesting person." She lied. Sheldon jotted down some notes.

"So my well developed flexor-pronator and extensor-supinator muscles and your paraphilia had nothing to do with you deciding to come and initiate a conversation?" She stood there slack jawed.

What the hell? I didn't understand one single word that just came out of his mouth.

"Interesting," Sheldon continued, "How do you choose a desirable partner? Is it based purely on physical attributes or do you look for something more?" Sheldon blinked at her with his blue eyes.

_Oh my god. He's an alien. An alien is buying me a drink and asking me how I decide who to sleep with. "Uh…Appearance has a lot to do with it. But you can't always rely just on that." Like with you, you looked normal…_

"Hmm…" Sheldon wrote some more in his notebook. _I need to get out of here._

"Listen, thanks for the drink, but I'm gonna leave." She finally said. _I need to find someone who doesn't speak like a madman._

"I speak like Albert Einstien would have!" Sheldon called after her. "Although many people thought he was man as well."

"Having any luck Sheldon?" Leonard asked walking up to him, with Priya on his arm. _Oh dear, not him again. _

"Oh yes, Leonard, great success." Leonard looked at him questioningly.

"You mean with your experiment right? You didn't actually pick up a girl?" _Let's hope not. That poor girl…_

"No of course not, my experiment is going very well however." _An experiment? What kind of guy goes to bar for an experiment?_

"Alright, well I'm taking Priya out to dinner, did you want me to drop you off at the apartment on our way there?" Leonard asked. Sheldon nodded.

"Yes that would be satisfactory, thank you." He placed his notebook away and stood, following Leonard to the door. He passed a man who was hitting on a woman who was pretending to be into him. Sheldon stopped.

"Don't bother," He said, "She's waiting for someone who is six inches taller and looks like someone called Brad Pitt." The woman looked at him incredulously as he turned and walked out the door.

What had started off as an experiment was becoming something more for Sheldon. He had discovered that in using his ability, he could make the women in his life happier.

This revelation came one day as he was speaking to his mother.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone for your awesome reviews! I couldn't do it without you! Also, I apologize for the formatting errors, for some reason when I go to publish the story all the italics are taken out and I have to put them back in, and I miss some spots. So sorry about that. Hopefully this chapter is better. Anyways, thanks to The_Sunday_Wife, your awesome. I owe you many virtual gifts. Enjoy!

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"Shelly, honey." His mother started in a deep drawl, "How are you doing?" _Oh this laundry is heavy._

"I'm doing fine, mommy." Sheldon said, it annoyed him to know that only some of her attention was on this phone call. She called him, she should at least be paying attention.

"How is Leonard doing?" She asked. _Now add the detergent…_

"Fine. He and Penny broke up and now he's dating Raj's sister Priya. Raj is not happy." Sheldon sighed and leaned back in his chair. He really did have better things to do that discuss the banalities of his roommates life with his mother.

_Penny's single? _"So how is Penny doing with that?" Mary asked with a different tone. Sheldon frowned.

"She's less upset over Leonard being with Priya then I thought she would be. She's more upset with the fact that she is now alone and feels like her life is going nowhere. She has low self-esteem. I've taken it upon myself to help her do better in her life. Unlike myself she needs someone to tell her she's doing a good job, I don't understand this need, but I acknowledge it." _Oh praise the Lord!_ Sheldon frowned.

"Well that's very nice of you Shelly to help her with her problems." _Please don't screw this up. I really like Penny. She's sweet and funny and normal. And she seems to like Sheldon._

Sheldon's frown deepened. Like? What?

"Well it is important to have those you surround yourself with be the best they can be so they don't drag you down." He said. _Oh dear, why do I even get my hopes up. Jesus knows this boy'll never realize he has feelings for Penny. Oh but she'd be so good for him! He needs someone like her in his life. _

Sheldon shook his head. He did not have feelings for Penny. Why did she think that? And he did not need her.

_Oh, poor Shelly. He'll be alone for the rest of his life if he doesn't change. I wonder if he knows that?_

"We've been having an enjoyable time together." Sheldon blurted. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to tell his mother this.

"Really?"

"Yes, a few nights ago she came over and we had dinner together, then we went back to her apartment…" _Jesus Christ._ "…we cleaned and organized for several hours. She needed to live in a cleaner area, it will make her feel better."_ Of course, cleaning and organizing. _She sounded exasperated to Sheldon.

"And tonight is laundry night." He added.

"Why is that important?" His mother asked.

"Penny and I do our laundry together on Saturday nights. I'm going to show her the correct way to wash her clothes. She just puts all her clothing in one load. It's economical on water, but its doing awful things to her wardrobe." _Aww, he really is cute when he gets excited like this._

"Shelly, I'm going to ask you a question and you have to tell me the truth." Sheldon hesitated. He never like to agree to things if he didn't have the particulars.

"Alright."

"Do you like Penny?" _Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes, please say yes, please say-_

"Yes." He blurted again. _Praise the lord! Glory hallelujah! I have to tell his sister! This is amazing!_

Sheldon hadn't heard his mother this happy in a long time. He couldn't bring himself to explain that he liked Penny as a friend…

"Oh Shelly, I'm glad. She's a very nice girl and the way you talk about her…well…I knew something would happen." _He talks about her all the time, brings her up in every conversation, now I know why!_

"Have you asked her out yet?" Sheldon paused before he realized this last part had been spoken aloud. He was regretting very much not telling his mother the truth. Knowing his mother she would not drop this until he told her they were either dating or that Penny had a different partner.

But he couldn't tell her that. She liked Penny and she was so happy. He didn't want either of those things to change.

"Not yet." He finally replied.

"Will you?" He heard her saying a silent prayer.

"Yes," He leaned forward and placed his head in his hands, suppressing a groan, "Tonight." He added. _Oh Mary mother of Jesus, thank you!_

"Oh Shelly, I'm happy for you." _I am going to spend the whole night praying._

"Prayer is unessesary mother. She will either accept or reject me based on her knowledge of me, not a miracle from the Lord. I have to go."

She sounded confused when she answered and he realized he had once again answered something she didn't say. "Oh okay honey, call me tomorrow to let me know what she says." _I can't believe this, I can't believe it. It's a miracle. _

"Goodbye Mother." He said closing his cell phone and laying it on the table. He sighed.

He had wanted to make his mother happy. So he had told her a lie. One he could foresee no immediate resolution for.

He had told her that he had feelings for Penny and she wasn't surprised (well not about the feelings, more about him admitting them). He was surprised at how easy it was to lie about it, he didn't even twitch.

What did that mean? He needed to do more research.

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**Reviews make me happy!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hey guys, thank you all so much for the love you've sent me via reviews! I really appreciate it. Well here it is, THE chapter. I hope you all love it. Thanks to The_Sunday_Wife. You are sooooooo great. Also, I'm pretty sure I got all the italics right this time! Whoo hoo! :D **

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Sheldon walked thoughtfully down the stairs, grasping his laundry basket tightly.

What was he going to do? His mother always knew when he was lying so he couldn't just tell her that he'd asked Penny and she'd said no. He was actually going to have to go through with it. But maybe he could do it in such a way that she wouldn't understand what he was really asking her and would thus say no. Hmm. He might be able to pull that off…

He walked up to the laundry room door and heard Penny inside on her cell phone chatting. He was about to step through when he heard something that made him stop.

"Of course, Mary. I understand, thanks for the phone call." Pause. "I will. Bye." Sheldon stiffened at the mention of his mother's name. Surely she wouldn't have…

_Wow. That was out of the blue. I really love her. But Sheldon! What was he thinking? He can't have been serious could he? Is he really interested in me? He has been unusually nice lately and considerate. What if he really does like me? How do I feel? It's just so weird! I've never really thought of Sheldon that way…well, that's not true. When I first met him I thought he was cute and flirted a little, but then I got to know him and his quirky habits…well, they are sort of cute. Sometimes. Sometimes he can be infuriating…_

Sheldon wanted to stop her internal monologue, or at least that train of thought, so he stepped into the laundry room. He still had no plan of action and this recent string of events wasn't helping him to conceive one.

"Hello Penny." He said nonchalantly as he sat his basket on the counter. Penny turned immediately.

"Hey Sheldon." She said. She turned back to her laundry as if nothing was different. _What should I say? Should I bring it up? No. He needs to do it. If I'm going to say yes, he has to at least do the asking…wait. Yes? I'm going to say yes. Wow. I guess I am…_

"Penny." Sheldon finally started as he sorted his clothing. Penny spun around.

"Yeah, sweetie." She replied. _He's going to do it now?_

"Did you manage to keep your apartment clean?" He asked, focusing on his laundry. Well on the outside, on the inside he was still trying to figure out what he was going to do. Really, reading women's thought was just getting him into uncomfortable circumstances…

"Uh…yeah, it actually looks really nice. The way you organized it makes everything so much easier. And I even sorted my laundry today…"

"Well done Penny! That's wonderful!" He said placing his warm coloreds into a washing machine and adding the appropriate amount of detergent and softener.

_Agh! Is he going to say something or isn't he? I can't focus on what I'm doing!_ Sheldon smirked slightly. However uncomfortable, this situation was a little amusing…

He started the machine and then turned to Penny. She was watching him, obviously having given up on trying to focus.

"Can I help you with something?" He asked. Penny stared at him. _Help me?_ She squinted at him but finally shook her head._ He knows I know. I don't know how he knows, but he knows. Maybe he heard me talking to his mother. Well, two can play this game, Moonpie._ Sheldon was about to open his mouth and tell her that nobody but Meemaw called him moonpie, but stopped just in time.

"Nope." She said, "How was your day? Did you talk to anyone interesting?" Sheldon loaded another washing machine. _Well played Penny._

"Well this morning I talked to Leonard, although I didn't find it very interesting. He's very unoriginal. Then Howard and Raj came over and we had a discussion about the new Thor trailer. We discussed it at length, trying to decide how the plot was going to go. There are so many ways they could take this movie. Then my mother called me to discuss banalities of life. Then Leonard wanted to talk about Priya. Now I am talking to you. None of this was very interesting, but there you have it." Sheldon turned back to sort his white clothes. _Priya? He wanted to talk about Priya? What new things can he have to s- no. Stop it. He'd trying to distract you. _

"So your mother called, how is Mary doing?" Penny sat on the edge of the counter and Sheldon glanced at her.

"She is well. She was doing laundry." He replied. Penny nodded.

"What did you guys talk about?" Sheldon looked over at Penny who stared up at him innocently. _Yeah, I'm gonna win this buster. You should just give up. _Sheldon looked back at his laundry.

"We talked about many things. My sister, Leonard…like I said, banalities." He knew he was in trouble when Penny did a mental cheer.

"And you didn't talk about anything else?" Sheldon shook his head.

"Nope." He felt his eyes twitch. _Gotcha._

"Yes, you did." Penny was grinning now. Sheldon sighed and put his clothes down. He turned to Penny.

"Let's stop playing games, shall we?" Penny looked up at him smugly.

"Gladly. Is there something we should discuss Sheldon?" Sheldon frowned at her.

"Aside from my mothers meddling in things she shouldn't, yes, there is something…" _Oh my god. He's really serious. He's going to ask me. _She stopped smiling. Sheldon looked down at his feet.

"Penny…" _He is so cute._ "I was wondering if you would consider a change in our relationship paradigm." Penny stared at him. _Was that it? What does that mean?_

"A change?" She ventured. Sheldon nodded and stepped forward, gaining confidence.

"Yes. Recently I have begun to realize that my own happiness is somehow hinged on being around you. I feel as if this means that perhaps we should change our paradigm to something more fitting these feelings." _He's happy around me? _Sheldon was a little startled at her inner question; he hadn't really realized what he had said. But now that it was said, he realized that it was true to a certain extent. He may not have feelings quite as strong as what he had expressed to his mother, but he was happy around Penny. He did enjoy her company. Penny looked up at him.

"You have feelings for me?" She finally asked. _I can't really believe this now that I'm hearing it._ Sheldon hesitated.

"Yes." No twitch. Penny smiled. _Yes! He said yes! This is so strange. _

"So what your asking is…?" _Just ask me out Sheldon, please, just make this easy…_ Sheldon took this hint.

"Would you like to go out with me Penny?" Sheldon almost cringed from the decibel of her inner squee. She hopped off the counter and threw her arms around his neck.

"Yes." She whispered in his ear. Sheldon placed his hands tentatively on her waist and allowed himself to smile. He really was happy. How could his feelings have changed this much? He often found Penny barely tolerable. But, he reminded himself, you haven't changed that much. Yes, she is unorganized and she isn't a genius, but he liked those things about her. She was his opposite. She was his missing piece. And she was happy, her thoughts told him that.

And Sheldon realized he liked making Penny happy.

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**WHAT DID YOU THINK? Reviews make me write when I'm about to die because of allergies. It's like medicine...except not. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for your lovely reviews! They worked! I'm all better and there's a new chapter for you! Huzzah! Thanks to The Sunday Wife for being my lovely beta! And virtual cookies for everyone who reviewed! I love you all! Here's the latest:**

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Sheldon took his time as he walked into Caltech. It had been a week since Penny had agreed to date him and he was enjoying it. They spent more than the usual time together now and they texted each other constantly.

They still hadn't told Leonard or the guys. Penny had decided on that and he was okay with it. It was like it was his own secret treasure, something only he knew about and he liked it.

Sheldon sent her flowers yesterday. He remembered her saying how much she liked flowers, but how they were always so expensive. So Sheldon called the flower store up the street and ordered a large bouquet. He didn't really know why he felt compelled to do this. Maybe it was just to see Penny smile after.

The flowers arrived the next day and Sheldon was nervous. What if she didn't like these flowers? What if they were all wrong? What if the store messed up the order?

Sheldon was pacing the living room when Leonard walked in.

"Huh," Leonard sighed, "Someone just sent Penny flowers. Is she dating again?" Sheldon sat at his computer abruptly, looking away from Leonard.

"How should I know? Am I Penny's keeper?" He asked. Leonard sighed and threw his jacket on the couch.

"No," He whined, "But you have been spending a lot of time with her lately, did she say anything to you?" Sheldon leaned back in his chair.

"She did say that she has been seeing someone lately." Sheldon replied, technically not lying, "But I don't see why you care so much, you're dating Priya now. Move on Leonard." Leonard lifted an eyebrow in Sheldon's direction, wondering at his demanding tone. He shrugged.

"Your right," Leonard said, "And if Penny's seeing someone else, then I can tell Priya to stop worrying. She wants me to see Penny less, so this will make it easier!" Leonard nodded having convinced himself.

"Good." Sheldon said, getting up. "Did you check the mail?" Leonard shook his head as he headed towards the kitchen.

"Nope."

"Alright, I'm going to go check the mail." Sheldon grabbed the keys out of the bowl and then exited the apartment. If he was quick with the mail he could see more of Penny. He hurried down the stairs and over to the mailboxes. He grabbed all the mail and then rushed back up the stairs.

_Knock knock knock_. "Penny." Sheldon said in hushed tones, so Leonard wouldn't hear.

_Knock knock knock_. "Penny."

_Knock knock knock_. "Penny."

The door opened and Penny smiled up at Sheldon.

_There's my wonderful boyfriend._ "Hey, Moonpie, come on in." She opened the door wider and he moved into her small apartment.

"Penny, only meemaw—"

"…calls you moonpie, I know." She finished as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought her lips to his. Sheldon was shocked for a moment but then allowed himself to relax. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her lips against his. All too soon it was over and he looked down on her.

_That was better than I thought it would be, _he heard Penny think. Sheldon felt a small bit a pride knowing that it was a good for her as it was for him.

"Thank you for the flowers," She said. Sheldon smiled.

"Peony's for Penny." He said. _Oh my gosh, that is adorable._

"That's what they're called?" She asked, grinning up at him. Sheldon nodded.

"Yes, The Peony is named after Paeon, who was a student of the greek god Asclepius, the god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of Paeon and was going to hurt him, but Zeus took pity on Peaon and turned him into a Peony before Asclepius could hurt him. Peony's have medicinal powers, being used in the Chinese dynasty's for convulsions." _Oh my dear sweet wack-a-doodle._

Penny walked over to the flowers and smelled the large pink blooms.

"Well, they are absolutely beautiful." Penny said looking up at him. Sheldon watched her breath in the scent of the Peonies and it struck him how happy he was. He hadn't been this happy in a while.

"I have to go, Leonard thinks that I went to get the mail. Which I did, but I also stopped here." _Oh Sheldon, can't tell a lie to save your life._

"Alright," Penny smiled. She wrapped her arms around him and this time he didn't hesitate to do the same.

"Tonight is Halo night." Sheldon reminded her. Penny looked up at him and smiled.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," _Moonpie._

Sheldon replayed that scene in his mind as he walked into work. He had never been in a relationship like this before. But even though previously he had been against any sort of romantic attachment, he was coming to find he enjoyed it immensely.

He enjoyed Penny's smile when he said something she didn't understand, he liked that she was the last person he texted at night and the first in the morning, he liked the thoughts that swam around in her head. He liked how sometimes she thought something naughty and her face got all red.

Sheldon stopped walking.

He could read Penny's thoughts.

This thought had never bothered him before but now he had to stop and think.

Was reading Penny's thoughts an unfair advantage? Would he even be in this relationship if he couldn't read her thoughts?

Sheldon started walking again.

He needed to do some serious thinking about this.

Sheldon got to his office and locked the door behind him.

He cleaned off a whiteboard and stood in front of it thoughtfully. After just a moment he started writing furiously.

After almost 3 hours, Sheldon capped his marker and sat down staring at the three whiteboards in front of him, their white surfaces crowded with black writing.

He sighed.

After all this thinking, three things were now apparent to Sheldon.

One. The only reason his relationship with Penny had started was because he could hear thoughts.

He'd heard Penny's thought about him and he'd heard his mother's thoughts, which made him tell her about his false feelings for Penny, which in turn made him ask Penny to date him.

But even before all that, Sheldon could hear Penny thinking about how upset she was with being alone and with Leonard dating Priya. He didn't tell her those things because he knew what she was thinking. He didn't offer to help because she he knew she needed it. He did it because…

Two. Sheldon loved Penny. Reading thoughts might have been the reason the relationship started, but the reason it continued was because Sheldon wanted it to.

He enjoyed being with Penny. He liked waking up thinking about her. He enjoyed her smile as they passed each other in the hall. He liked how when none of the guys were looking she would blow him a kiss.

It was juvenile, the way he felt and acted around her. But he didn't care.

He loved Penny.

But what if she found out about his powers? That the only reason their relationship existed was because of his powers? Sheldon knew she would be hurt. She might even infer that he didn't care about her at all. Which was ridiculous. But still, if he wanted to continue with their relationship…

Three. Sheldon had to get rid of his powers.

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**So? What are your thoughts? Good? Awesome? Gone terribly awry! Let me know. I thrive off reviews like Sherlock Holmes thrives on mystery!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry about how long this one took. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all the awesome reviews and everything! Also, just wanted to say, I sometimes read on my iPod and on the mobile version TBBT fics just broke the top 100 in TV section! YAY US! *virtual cookies all around!* Anyways, I'm throwing you a curveball in this chapter...**

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Sheldon strode purposefully through the halls of Caltech. He had to talk to Amy. He had to get rid of these powers.

He couldn't lose Penny.

"Hello, Sheldon." Amy said as he entered her office.

"Hello, Amy Farrah Fowler." He replied, "I need to speak to you." Amy stopped what she was doing and turned to Sheldon.

_Alright, what do you need?_ She thought.

"How long until you can undo the effects of your previous experiment?" Sheldon asked. Amy thought for a moment.

_It may take a few days to develop a way to remove your new cognitive capabilities. Does this mean your finished with your anthropological experiment?_

"Yes," Sheldon replied, "Upon further research, I've come to realize that although I can read their minds, I still will never understand women." Amy nodded.

_I see. Well then give me a few days. I will see what I can come up with to help._

"Thank you Amy." Sheldon said, turning to leave. He stopped. "Also, Amy, I feel you should know, Penny and I have entered into a…romantic relationship together." Amy looked over at him.

_That's understandable. She's attracted to you. You can tell by how her pupils dilate when she sees you. Are you finding it a satisfying relationship?_

"Yes." He replied. Amy smiled.

_Good. I'll call you when I have something. _

Sheldon nodded and left the office.

Sheldon stayed late at Caltech, making up for the work he missed while working on his Penny problem.

He texted Penny tos ee if she would pick him up.

_Sure, _came her reply a few minutes later. Sheldon gathered his things, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

He locked his office door and then went to wait for Penny outside. In just a few minutes Penny drove up. Sehldon got in her inadequately maintenanced car and they drove off.

"How was your day, Penny?" Sheldon asked as he pulled his seatbelt across his chest. He asked, not because it was the social protocol, but because he now honestly wanted to know.

"Fine." Penny answered. Sheldon frowned.

_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world, it's fantastic, I'm made of plastic…_

Why was Penny singing a song in her head? She seemed upset.

"Did you do anything interesting?" Sheldon probed.

"Nope." The song continued.

They drove the rest of the way back to the apartment in silence. Well, Penny was in silence. Sheldon listened to Penny singing one pointless song after another.

Finally, they pulled parked and Penny practically jumped out of the car.

"Penny?" Sheldon asked, a little worried. He got out of the car and followed her.

"Penny?" He asked again as they entered the building and started climbing the stairs. He called her name at every floor, but she just kept storming up the stairs.

"Penny?" He finally called as they reached the fourth floor. Penny turned on him.

"Sheldon?" She cried, matching his tone. They stood staring at each other for a moment.

"What is wrong?" He finally asked, truly concerned now. Penny looked furious and her thoughts were giving him no clues.

"What?" She said sarcastically, "You can't read my mind?" She turned then and slammed her door behind her.

Sheldon frowned. How did she know? The only other person who knew was…Amy. Amy must have been by earlier and said something. He hurried to her door.

_Knock knock knock_. "Penny?"

_Knock knock knock._ "Penny?"

_Knock knock knock_. "Penny?"

Penny pulled open the door.

"What?" She cried.

"Penny, I think we should talk about this." He replied calmly. She stared up at him with her beautiful green eyes, now laced with tears.

_I don't want to talk right now Sheldon._

Sheldon nodded.

"I understand," He replied, "When your ready, I'll be here." Penny's eyes got wide.

_So it's true, you can read my thoughts._ Sheldon nodded.

_Sheldon…I…_Penny shook her head and looked away.

"I don't know what to say, Sheldon." She murmured. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sheldon shook his head.

"And say what? Hi Penny, I can read your mind?" Penny looked up at him.

"You could have said something! Is our whole relationship a lie? Have you just been telling me what I want to hear? God, I'm so embarrassed Sheldon! Their my thoughts! My private thoughts! And you didn't think that was worth mentioning!" Sheldon stepped forward.

"No, Penny, you don't underst—" But before he could explain, she had slammed the door in his face.

Sheldon looked at the door and debated on whether or not to knock. He decided to give her some space.

He turned and found himself standing face to face with Leonard.

"Relationship?" Leonard said, "Sheldon, you wanna catch me up?"

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**So that's it. I'm gonna throw a big ole wrench in this story. What ever will Sheldon do? Review to find out! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wow. So it's been almost two years since I started this story. I want to apologize profusely for leaving you all hanging. I HATE when people do that to me. But I'm finally back and I'm updating again. (after what I can GUARANTEE were some crazy two years) I hope to have this story finished in two more chapters. I really would like to hear what you want for Penny and Sheldon though. Any feedback, anything you NEED? I want you all to be happy with this, since you are the reason it's continued. **

**Thank you all for your reviews even when I wasn't writing. **

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"What do you mean you've been 'dating'?" Leonard asked incredulously once the door to the apartment was shut behind them. Sheldon sighed, setting the mail on the desk.

"I believe the term is self-explanatory." He replied. He was worried. He'd screwed it all up. He should have told Penny. He should have had Amy fix him this afternoon. He should have… well, he should have done many things.

"You mean, you've been going on dates and kissing and… stuff?!" Leonard asked, throwing his hands around. Sheldon rolled his eyes and sat on his side of the couch.

"Yes, Leonard. Although I am loathe to agree to a statement that ends in such an ambiguous way." He ran a hand over his face.

"So… so that stuff she said about reading minds… that was true?" Sheldon nodded.

"Yes."

Leonard's eyes went wide and he paused for a long time. Sheldon rolled his eyes when he realized what he was doing.

"I can't read _your _thoughts," He said, "How did you even get a PHD? I can only read _women's_ thoughts. I'm not sure what happened. I was with Amy, at the time, maybe her chromosomes had something to do with it… I'm not sure. She's trying to resolve the issue as we speak… while also making it worse." Leonard stood stock still, mouth open.

"Holy crap!"

Leonard and Sheldon both turned to see Raj and Howard standing in the doorway. They both looked baffled.

"What's this now?" Howard asked, sidling up to the couch arm to sit on it.

Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"Sheldon is dating Penny!" Leonard said, pointing an accusatory finger at his roommate. Suddenly all three sets of eyes were on Sheldon, all giving him a distinct 'what the hell' look. Sheldon stood.

"I _was_ dating Penny. She is mad at me at the moment and may decide to no longer continue our courtship."

"Because you can _read her mind_?!" Howard asked. "Yeah… I heard that part."

"Yes, Howard, I was in a scientific accident and now I currently have the power to read women's minds. Believe me; reading minds is not what it's cracked up to be. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to my room." Sheldon turned and walked down the hall.

"OF ALL THE PEOPLE! SHELDON?!" he heard Howard yell as he shut the door of his bedroom.

He sat on his mattress and tried to filter through his feelings.

Feelings were never his strong suit. Anyone who knew him knew this to be true. But that didn't mean, he didn't feel, that he didn't understand feelings. It just took him longer to figure them out than other people.

He had feelings for Penny. He realized this. It was rather obvious at this point. He didn't want to stop seeing her. He didn't want to stop kissing her. He liked her. Loved her even? Yeah. He didn't love many things. But the way he distinguished what he loved between what he liked was one simply question: could he live without it? His mother? Love. Science? Love. Penny? …Love.

He knew what he had to do.

And he did not want to do it.

He wanted to crawl into his bed and pull the covers over his eyes and sing soft kitty to himself and pretend it wasn't real.

He laid back on his bed and sighed staring at the ceiling.

His phones started ringing.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Hello Sheldon, it's Amy."

"What can I do for you?" He asked, bitterly.

"I think I may have found your kryptonite." She answered. Sheldon sat up.

"Will it work?"

"I believe so. Do you want to give it try tonight, or would you like to wait till tomorrow?"

"Tonight. Right now. I'll… I'll find a way there."

"Alright, see you soon." Sheldon ended the call and headed to the living room.

He had to do this tonight. He had to execute his plan. He _had_ to do it tonight. Otherwise, he felt like he might back out, back away from his feelings… lock them away. Which would be easier but… no. Tonight.

"Leonard, I need you to take me to CalTech, right now." Leonard looked up where he had been chatting with Howard and Raj.

"Uh… okay. Why?"

Sheldon looked at his friends.

"I'm getting rid of my powers… and then I'm going to tell Penny how much I love her."

The reaction he got was as he expected.

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**Okay, I know it's not a lot. But I wanted you guys to know that I haven't given up yet. **

**Next chapter should be up next Sunday!**

**REVIEWS ARE THE REASON THIS STORY IS HERE SO REVIEW MY PRETTIES! 3**

**My tumblr is TheSecretBlogOfALyingLiarWhoLies**


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